While we frequently recommend ample sleep for optimal health and mood, a new University of Oxford study highlights benefits of shorter nights for those plagued by nightmares. For heavy sleepers prone to bad dreams, exceeding 9 hours may heighten risks more than alcohol or late exercise.
Oxford researchers analyzed 846 volunteers—primarily women—over two weeks. Participants reported nightmare frequency and severity (including next-day impacts), alongside depression, stress, anxiety levels, alcohol consumption, sleep duration, and exercise habits.
Key findings: Stress and worry strongly correlate with nightmares, as does sleep exceeding 9 hours. Longer nights extend REM sleep—the phase where dreams and nightmares occur—raising the odds of disturbances. Notably, no connections emerged between alcohol, late workouts, and nightmares.
For those in high-stress periods with recurring nightmares, capping sleep at 8 hours could help.
